RELIGIONS THE BASIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS?

Have religious beliefs enhanced or impeded Human Rights?

THE BASIS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Where do these ideas come from?

What is the basis for Human Rights?

How have they been implemented?

Can they be rescinded?

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA

Urukagina of Lagash created the first legal code in history (24th century BC) to curb power of elite priests and nobility

The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known law code surviving today c. 2100–2050 BC

The Code of Hammurabi 1772 BC

ANCIENT IRAN The Cyrus cylinder from 6th century BC

called the world's oldest human rights document

Cyrus freed many people held captive by the Babylonians and arranged for them to return to their homelands

W.J. Talbott, an American philosopher: "perhaps the earliest known advocate of religious tolerance" and suggests that "ideas that led to the development of human rights are not limited to one cultural tradition.“

Princess Ashraf Pahlavi"the heritage of Cyrus was the heritage of human understanding, tolerance, courage, compassion and, above all, human liberty".

ANCIENT GREECE

Idealisation of Athens by modern Humanists, Secularists, Atheists

Hannah Arednt traces Freedom to Greek ideas of Democracy, Citizenship

Eleutheiria was Goddess of Liberty

Parrhesia: In Assemblies, Courts and Theatre freedom to speak without limits

Cynicism believed simple life would endow freedom

Pericles 431BC: "If we look to the laws, they afford equal justice to all in their private differences; if no social standing, advancement in public life falls to reputation for capacity, class considerations not being allowed to interfere with merit; nor again does poverty bar the way"

PAX ROMANA

Difference between Free and Slave but all had rights in Law

Stoics taught that all men were manifestations of the same universal spirit, and thus by nature equal

Libertas the goddess of Liberty

Slaves freed at Temple of Feronia

Saturnalia saw masters serve slaves

Republic’s Senate seen as precursor to Democracy

MEDIEVAL EUROPE

Magna Carta limited power of King

Magna Carta gave habeas corpus

Forunner of Parliament: Althing, Anglo-Saxon Witenagamot, Manx Tynwald, Irish tuath

ANGLOSPHERE PHILOSOPHIES

Bill of Rights in England 1689 checked royal absolutism

Paved Way for Glorious Revolution

1779 Virginia Bill of Rights inherent right to rebel against Inadequate Government: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

FRENCH REVOLUTION

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen 1789: “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.”

General Will and Social Contract of Rousseau

1794 “All men, without distinction of colour, residing in the colonies are French citizens and will enjoy all the rights assured by the Constitution.”

Abolition of Feudalism

Guarantees of Equality

Church Replaced by Cult of Reason

DEFINITION

What if Religion?

What is Culture?

How are Secularism, Atheism, Humanism different?

RELIGION CAN ONLY COME FROM CULTUREDeep Spirituality and Complex Cosmology of Native Australians, Americans, etc

Is Text needed for belief?

Where is the dividing line?

ORIENTALIST BIASProtestant Reformation views on what is ‘Religion’Enlightenment dichotomy of Profane and SacredModernist bifurcation of ‘Religion’ and ‘Culture’

DEFINING RELIGION

In Latin ‘religio’ originally meant an obligation to the gods, something expected by them from human beings or a matter of particular care or concern as related to the gods

Cicero uses cultus deorum, "the proper performance of rites in veneration of the gods.“

Not Faith but Correct Practice

Mos Maiorum: "ancestral custom"[or "way of the elders," plural mores, was the unwritten code from which the ancient Romans derived their social norms

Neglecting the religiones owed to the traditional gods was Atheism

Religion synonomous with custom and therefore culture

MORALITY AND ORDER

Confucius: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.“

"If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of the shame, and moreover will become good.“

Instils sense of Duty, Honesty and Natural Morality

Tao is the ‘Way’

Sun Tzu: "The Tao causes the people to be fully in accord with the ruler.”

Laozi: "That which is meddling, touching everything, will work but ill, and disappointment bring."

DHARMA

Max Muller: religion mean piety, reverence for gods, what Cicero called ‘Diligence’

Muller found that many other cultures around the world, including Egypt, Persia, and India, as having a similar power structure

Religion was similar to ‘Law’

Dharma said to mean Religion

But can also mean Law, Duty, Conduct, Virtues and ‘‘Right way of Living’’

Dharma essential for justice, social harmony, and happiness

In text such as Dharmashatra but also in Custom and Tradition

Competing Texts

RTA

Principle of Natural Order which Regulates and Coordinates the operation of the Cosmos and all its ingredients

Upheld by injunctions known as Dharma

Operated by Actions known as Karma

‘RELIGION’ AS DHARMA

Me: dictated Sumerian social mores as decreed by the gods

Maat: ancient Egyptian concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice to keep equilibrium of the universe

Asha: Iranian concept of Truth, Cosmic Order

Moirai: Greek concept of What is Ordained and cannot be changed even by the gods

Germanic Wrd and Norse Uror

ORIENTAL DESPOTISM

Zen priest Suzuki Shosan (1579 – 1655), former samurai against individualism and said that one existed for lord and society

Neo-Confucianism provided the idea of ri or cosmic order of obedience

Samurai warrior caste

Eta were untouchables

Order and Harmony the primary focus of Confucian socieities: Japan, China, Korea, Japan

CASTE

Dharma and Karma blamed for Caste and Untouchability

Manusmirti blamed for Poverty and Inequality

Has Hinduism impeded India’s Development Politically, Socially and Economically?

But then what is ‘Hinduism’

There is no separate Hindu culture and Religion

Post-Enlightenment terms inapplicable

Religions do not rise from nothing

Texts are not Revelations but Codify ideas at a certain juncture in history

BASIS OF TOTALITARIANISMSparta ritually killed off Helots

Pre-Modern Societies were Slave Owning and Hierarchical

Roman Amphitheatre enforced ideas of Order and Chaos

Totalitarian secular ideologies owe much to Plato, Atlantis, Caesar

Athenians warned that Democracy could become Mobocracy and Tyranny

FAILED UTOPIA

Atheists, Secularists, Humanists blame Religion for human rights abuses and oppression

French Revolution descended into Terror

Twentieth centuries witnessed worst crimes against humanity

Nazi Germany and USSR were ‘Scientific’

Class and Race replaced any god in human centred ideologies

Loyalty to Proletariat/Nation/Volk/Race/Class

Non–existent or ambiguous morality

Idealism and Sincerity severely warped

Communism and National Socialism secular and anti-religious in creating the “New Man”

No god to restrain excesses

Disillusionment with heaven on earth revolution meant retreat into lowest common denominator, that of race, ethnicity, and volk

RELIGIOUS CONTRADICTIONSQuakers and Evangelicals pushed for Abolition of Slavery

Southern Baptists formed in Support of Slavery

Dutch Reformed Church supported Apartheid

WCC declared against Apartheid

Ram Rajya Parishad supported Caste System

Modern Hindu Movements against Caste System

Prevalence of Anti-Semitism in Islamic countries

Si Ali Sakkat and Khaled Abdul-Wahhab saved Tunisian Jews from Holocaust, Albelhamid Ben Badis counteracted pied noir Fascism, Si Kaddour Benghabrit saved Jews in Paris, Albania sheltered Jewish refugees

SECULAR FAILURES

Slavery ended due to Capitalism

Free Market Dogma led to Irish Potato Famine

Marxist Dogma claimed Freedom but led to Oppression, Starvation and Genocide

UK Society is bemoaned for being out of control

Children brought up by parents who themselves trapped in perpetual adolescence

Family breakdown increase

Lack of any sense of responsibility

Egotism rules in warped sense of human rights

Bombardment with images of sex, needless consumer products, extra finance

Gang culture, MTV, voyeurism, Big Brother, X Factor, addictions provide new structures for disillusioned Generation X

DYSTOPIAN VISIONS, AND MODERN INFANTOCRACYHuman Sacrifice as Demographic Control

Climatic Impact on Civilisation: Mayans, Indus-Saraswati, Mini Ice Age

Black Death, Plague, Ebola

Materialist Roman rapaciousness

Science Fiction warns that Progress can become Nightmare

Social Breakdown will Reform the Tribe

Dharma and Rta are ‘Religious’ tools of making sense of Chaos and Complexity

IMPEDIMENT OR ENHANCEMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS?Theories, Scriptures, Practises embody Ideas at a certain point in History

Impact of Environment, Disease, Demographics

Custom, Tradition, Folklore as important as Text

Secular Ideologies are dogmatic because at source they are ‘Religious’

History and Time is Cyclical (Mahakaal) not linear

RELEVANCE OF DHARMA TO HUMAN RIGHTSEmphasis on Behaviour and Conduct rather than just Belief

Understand Consequences of actions

Act according to available and accurate information

God is not dictating to humanity but is humanity and lies within each of us: Our Conscience

Conscience has its foundation in humility, compassion and love for all

Dharma is context specific, so morality is not compromised, neither is it made irrelevant

Brain is rationality, Heart is Bhakti

Sanatana Dharma is therefore eternal because rules, responsibilities and living in harmony with others and nature can never be dispensed with

Idea of Samskaras make the Infantocracy an anathema and irrelevant

GURU NANAK Dharma is the son of compassion

GOSWAMI TULSIDAS Compassion is the root of Dharma, ego the root of sin

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM FROM CONFUCIUS

Adept Kung asked: "Is there any one word that could guide a person throughout life?"

The Master replied: "How about 'shu': never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself?“